Greetings from River City. Over the years, readers of this column have come to know that I love this country and I love its people. Our country grew and prospered becoming an oasis in the world, because though our ancestral countries may have been mortal enemies, we had to get along, sharing a common life. I have not forgotten that we are not perfect, indeed not, nor have I forgotten that we are different from virtually all other countries in that we are not homogenous, as are the others, and we cannot really be compared to them. 

Still, for the most part we have done it rather well. So, it is alarming to see the attempts at dividing us…parent and school, parent and child, Black, White, and Asian, Christian and non-Christian, gender, life and death. You name it.   

Mount Saint Mary College’s Dominican Scholars of Hope recently donated $300 to the Baby Steps Baby Pantry at Christ Lutheran Church in Newburgh. Rooted in the values of the Judeo-Christian and Dominican heritage of the college, the Dominican Scholars of Hope (DSH) is a nonacademic living and learning community for highly motivated Mount students. 

Through a Krispy Kreme donut fundraiser, the DSH raised the money for the pantry, which provides infant supplies for families in need in the local area. Each month, families who are part of the program are provided with a week’s worth of diapers, wipes, wash, and cream.  

The Rev. Ernst Mossl, pastor of Christ Lutheran Church, was grateful to accept the donations in person near the end of the Spring 2022 semester. The DSH program is spearheaded by Dr. Charles Zola, assistant to the President for Mission Integration, director of the Mount’s Catholic and Dominican Institute, and associate professor of Philosophy. 

 
Mount Saint Mary College’s 44th Annual Golf and 11th Annual Tennis Invitational Tournament on Monday, June 6 earned approximately $108,000 for the college. Held at the Powelton Club, the event honored the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 363 and the organization’s business manager, Sam Fratto. 

Fratto was born and raised in Newburgh and is a proud Newburgh Free Academy graduate. In 2011, he became Business Manager of IBEW Local 363 and has since been elected by the membership four times. Nearly 200 friends of the college came to support the Mount.  

All donations and net proceeds will support the college’s Golf and Tennis Tournament Endowed Scholarship Fund. This scholarship is awarded to academically strong students with financial need, with preference given to students pursuing sports management, sports medicine, or similar fields.  
The first two recipients of the scholarship, which was established in 2021, are Collin Lambert of Washingtonville, NY and Matthew Riccardi of Staten Island, NY. Both Lambert and Riccardi just finished their freshman year at the Mount. In addition, the IBEW Local 363 established an annual scholarship at the Mount for students who are also members of IBEW Local 363 or a dependent of a member. 

 
It’s America’s birthday…and it’s our birthday, too!  Come celebrate July 4th at Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site, in Newburgh… the first publicly owned historic site in the nation, opened on July 4, 1850.  Do it in an All-American style, too – make a pinwheel! Children and those young at heart are invited to make and decorate pinwheels and watch their creations flutter in the breezes of the nearby Hudson River. 

This craft opportunity is free with admission, which includes a guided tour of the historic Headquarters and the freedom to explore the Museum, which houses such exhibits as Unpacked & Rediscovered: Selections from Washington’s Headquarters’ Collection, George Washington: Perspectives on His Life and Legacy, The Preservation of Washington’s Headquarters, and the Junior Curator Project 2020. 
 
Happy birthday greetings to Arlene Butwell, who celebrates her candles and cake day on June 28. Dear funny lady may your day be more than you hoped it would be and may it be the start of a happy and healthier year ahead.

Happy Birthday, dear Arlene!! 
 
America Needs Fatima Rosary: Saturday, June 25 at 12 Noon on the lawn at Sacred Heart Church. In case of inclement weather, it will be held inside the Church. 
 The St. Vincent de Paul Society operates a Baby Outreach Center every Tuesday morning in the basement of Sacred Heart School. They welcome donations of baby items, especially size 5 and 6 diapers. Items may be brought to the Baby Center or left in the rear of the church. 
 

“Not flesh and blood, but the heart makes us fathers and sons [and daughters].” Friedrich Schiller. “He didn’t tell me how to live; he lived and let me watch him do it.” Clarence Budington Kelland, “Blessed indeed is the man who hears many gentle voices call him father!” Lydia M. Child. 

May you have been blessed with a loving dad. As Always,I close with my prayer for God’s blessings on your heads my dears